In traditional Hawaiian society, natural resources from the mountain tops to deep sea were overseen by Konohiki. The Konohiki were individuals with intimate knowledge of the environment as well as skills that could motivate people to work together and practice a balanced and productive way of life.

The Hui Konohiki Program aspires to bring together the best elements of Hawaiian knowledge and practices as well as the best and most appropriate contemporary scientific tools and methods in an interdisciplinary approach to training students who aspire to manage, protect and care for these islands which are our ancestral home.

The program encompasses skills and diagnostic methods derived from Hawaiian customary skills and practices as well as contemporary botanical, biological, ecological, educational, geographical and hydrological disciplines.

The Hui Konohiki program will utilize field sites and experiences to bring students, faculty and community members to investigate and work together on issues relating to resource management in Hawai'i . Student's work in the community will be an essential component of their training. Hui Konohiki is a collaborative program of the Kamakaküokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, the Botany Department and Marine Biology Program.